Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for the continuous and progressive shaping of metal strips to produce a formed metal strip whose cross sectional dimensions vary along a longitudinal axis thereof. The apparatus includes a device for shaping the metal strips, wherein the device has at least one tool set with at least two rotatably mounted and mutually associated tools, wherein the tools each have a pressure face disposed along an outer circumference thereof with a contour configured to shape the workpieces. The contour of the pressure face of at least one tool is not axially symmetric. In order to be able to cost-effectively produce workpieces or profiles with a variable cross section, in particular profiles with a closed cross section, it is proposed that the contours of the pressure faces of all tools, but at least of one tool set, are concave in order to generate a profile having a closed cross section.

Abstract: Provided is an electrode support structure in which local heating can be prevented from occurring in a workpiece during the electric heating. The electrode support structure is usable for applying a load to the electrodes used for the electric heating of a metal plate, and comprises at least two members, i.e., a first member to which the electrodes are fixed and a second member which receives the load from the first member or connects the first member to a load means. The support structure in which the two members are joined to each other through an elastic member can uniformly apply the load to the electrodes for electric heating so that the electrodes can uniformly contact with the workpiece, whereby the workpiece can be uniformly heated.

Abstract: In various embodiments, joined sputtering targets are formed at least in part by spray deposition of the sputtering material and/or welding.

Abstract: In order to evaluate the welding current for the resistance seam welding of an overlap seam of container bodies, a welding with changing welding current intensity is carried out for a container body of the production series, resulting in a changing welding of the seam, ranging from the welding with a too high temperature to the welding with a too low temperature. The electric energy for this welding is determined several times during this welding and/or the temperature of the weld seam is determined several times and the welding current intensity is determined at which the welding of the individual container body is too cold and the welding current intensity at which the welding is too hot. This determination is based on the determined electric energy values and/or on the determined temperature values and based on this determination a preferred range for the welding current intensity within these limits of too hot and too cold is determined.

Abstract: An annular facing is machined in an inside surface of the spherical wall around the periphery of a zone where the wall has a bore for securing the tube passing therethrough. A first welding material is deposited in the facing, and the bore is made by drilling through a portion of the spherical wall that is surrounded by the facing. The tube is engaged tightly in the bore, and a second welding material is deposited in the facing at the periphery of the tube in order to weld the tube to the first welding material. At least one of the operations of depositing the first and second welding materials in the facing is performed automatically by causing a welding torch to turn around the axis of the bore while moving the torch in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the bore and while causing it to pivot about an axis that is orthogonal to the axis of the bore while rotation is taking place.

Abstract: A method of resistance welding comprising the steps of contacting a metal sheet with an electrode having an initial contact surface area at a force to provide a pressure to the metal sheet applying a current through the electrode to the metal sheet; measuring dimensional changes of the electrode; correlating dimensional changes in the electrode to changes in the initial contact surface area; and adjusting the force to compensate for the changes in the initial contact surface area of the electrode to maintain pressure to the metal sheet. The force may be adjusted by stepping the force to maintain pressure to the faying surface of the metal sheet to be welded. By maintaining the pressure at the faying surface the life cycle of the electrodes may be increased without forming discrepant welds. The current may also be stepped to further extend electrode life.

Abstract: In response to the recent various requests, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing filler neck to facilitate jointing a mouthpiece and a feeding pipe which were manufactured separately into an integrated filler neck having an excellent hermeticity. The method for manufacturing a filler neck 1 comprises the following steps: jointing an inner face of the circumferential wall portion 16 of a feeding pipe and an outer face of the circumferential wall portion 12 of the mouthpiece, and integrating with the mouthpiece 2 and the feeding pipe 3, wherein the outer of the mouthpiece and the inner face of the feeding pipe are in relation to be fitted in a press-fitted condition, a seam welding is executed to the welding area W provided in a range of the overlapped area S defined by the width of the circumferential wall portions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for shaping small three-dimensional articles such as nanotube exhibiting a layered structure through material removal such that the article is controllably shaped to exhibit a desired contour. Typically, material removal does not require use of a chemical etchant and is carried out while the article and a shaping electrode are positioned in contact material removal relationship with under a potential difference. The invention also relates to nanotubes and small three-dimensional articles exhibiting a layered structure having a controllably shaped contour.